Potato-digger



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. N. NICHOLSON.

POTATO BIGGER.

No. 394,286. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

imam/ ooe N. PETERS. Hwwuumgn hor. Wnhmgmm D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. N. NICHOLSON.

POTATO BIGGER.

No. 394,286. Patented Dec. 11, 1 888.

2 5 a. A/ W W 11 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS X. NICHOLSON, OF EMBARR-ASS, VISCONSIN.

POTATO-D IGG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,286, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed June 2, 1888. Serial No. 275,870. (No model.)

To all whont it TI'LLLZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs N. NICHOLSON, a citizen of theU1'1ited States, residing at Embarrass, in the county of Vaupaca and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to in'lprovements in potato-d i ggers; and it con s ists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

Figure l of the drawings represents a view of one side of a machine embodying the invention, the wheel being partly broken to show the parts. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of said mat-lune. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the machine.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the main frame of the invention, consisting of the side boards, u u, and cross-bars connecting the same, both above and below.

B is the axle turning with the wheels 1) and journaled in bearings secured to the side beams of the rear portion of the machine, and b l) are small caster-wheels journaled between the arms of the bifurcated bearingspindle b, the stems of which are inserted in sockets in the lower edge of the side boards of the front portion of the machine.

(I is the tongue, pivoted at its heel between the arms 0, that project from the front ends of the side boards of the main frame; and D is the plow or shovel, made of two sect-ions the outer one, (1, of steel and the inner one, d, of cast-iron. The plow is provided with the vertical side plates, (1*, through openings in the rear end of which it is pivoted to the main frame below the tongue and between the front ends of the side boards.

lis a shaft jonrnaled in the arms 0 in rear of the tongue and carrying on each side the pulleys c, and e are ropes or chains connecting said pulleys and the correspondingplates (Z of the tongue.

6 is a lever-arm standing out from the shaft E for the purpose of raising or lowering the plow on said shaft.

F is a carrier composed of the longitudinal endless side straps, f, and the transverse buckets f, which have upstanding flanges on their front and side edges, as shown.

G is the front roller of the said carrier, journaled in the side boards below the inner end of the plow or shovel; and G is the rear and upper roller of the carrier, having on one of its journals extending outside its bearing in the correspondingside board the pulley g, which connects by the belt 7: with a similar pulley, h, on the extended journal of a shaft, H, having bearin in the side boards at suitable distances from the axle.

1 is a gear-wheel on the extended journal of the shaft. l-l', opposite that bearing the pulley and meshing with a gear-wheel, '1', secured on the axle, so that the forward motion of the machine causes the carrier to travel up from the plow or shovel.

.l is a rectangular screen-shoe composed of suitable transverse and longitudinal rails, and having its side rails hung to the lower ends of the metal straps j j, the upper ends of which are pivoted to the inner surfaces of the side boards, a, so that the shoe swings 1011- gitudinally. The shoe is provided with an upper coarser screen, j, and a lower finer screen,j each of which is composed of longitudinal wires extending between and secured to suitable end rails and slightly concave in cross-section. The upper screen inclines downward and rearward from below the upper roller of the carrier and the lower roller of the carrier, and the lower finerscreen has a similar inclination and is a suitable distance below the former.

K is a disk on the extended journal of the roller G opposite that carrying the pulley and provided with a wrist-pin, 7.", that engages one end of a pitman, L, the other end of which is engaged on an arm, I, extending from the rear'end of the screen-shoe through an elongated slotin the adjacent side board of the main frame.

hen the roller G is turned by the onward progress of the machine, the coaction of the disk,wrist-pin, and pitman vibrates the screen shoe.

M isa platform between the side boards and in rear of the screen-shoe on which to rest bags, which may be filled with potatoes by means of a spout, on, running rearward from the shoe.

In operation the plow o1 shovel is set to the desired depth by means of the shaft E, pulleys'e, and ropes or chains 6, and as the ma chine moves forward it runs under the hills, scooping up the potatoes and eartlnwhich are carried back to the elevator, and thereby thrown on the vibrating screens, over which the potatoes pass to the bags, whilethe earth falls through to the ground.

Having described my inventioml claim The improved potatodigger comprising the main frame, the shovel having side plates pivoted to the front end of the main frame, the arms extending from the main frame, the rock-shaft journaled in said arms, the ropes depending from said shaft and secured to the side plates of the shovel, the carrier mounted within the main frame and inclining upward and rearward from the shovel, the links j, pivoted to the inner sides of the main frame in rear of the carrier, the screen-shoe hung on said links the spout m in rear of the shoe, the platform M at the lower rear corner of the main frame, and gearing between the axle and the carrier and the axle and the screenshoe, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS N. NICHOLSON.

\Vitnesses:

A. \V. WILLMARTH, ()TTO LUDEWIG. 

